What impairs African aviation growth?

AFTER many years of
hard work and industry
restructuring, Iata expects
a global industry-wide
nett profit of US$29,3bn
(R382bn) on revenues of
US$727bn (R9,5trn). Nett
profit margin is expected
to come in at 4%. This was
the good news delivered by
Hussein Dabbas, Iata’s vp for
the Middle East and Africa.
Aviation is Africa’s lifeblood,
transporting more than 112m
passengers each year, he
says. “It supports 6,9m jobs
and US$80bn (R1trn) in GDP.
It sends African goods and
people out into the world,
and brings in economic
investment, tourism, trade
and aid. Without aviation,
Africa would be a more
fractured and constrained
continent; with aviation, it
can better realise its ideals
of regional integration, peace
and prosperity.”
Yet the high cost of doing
business in Africa is a major
impediment. Taxes and
charges on infrastructure and
fuel are much higher than
the global average and must
be reduced, says Hussein.
He believes a strong aviation
system is key to resolving
many of Africa’s deepest
problems and there now
exists an opportunity to
overtake progress on other
continents.